Time is Fleeting
by Akane Kuran
Summary: At age 26, Brad Majors is diagnosed with lung cancer. He has no idea how it developed, no idea what to do and no idea what's happening. Until he meets Magenta.
1. The First Day

**Time Is Fleeting.**

**Here's more leukemia shit. And it's Bradgenta too... I honestly came up with this idea while trying to write a Forbidden Fruit-themed parody of Last Friday Night.**

**But this one's a little different. I'll let y'all see for yourselves...**

**Also, the nurse is based on Minnie from The Help. **

* * *

"Lung cancer? That's impossible. I've smoked a total of three cigarettes and one joint. In my life. There has to be some mistake..."

"I'm sorry, Mr Majors. There's no mistake. Would you like to hear a list of treatment options?"

"Please..."

"Well, for you, chemotherapy would be the best option, the most effective at least, radiation would be less debilitating but chemo is almost 98% surefire, I mean, in your case-"

Brad began to zone out as the young woman across the desk ran her mouth about treatment options for the cancer that his body had somehow developed. Suddenly, his almost perfect world came crashing down in under five minutes.

Brad ran a hand through his hair, "So... when do I start treatment?"

"Tomorrow. We'll send you an email concerning treatment times and what medications you'll be on."

"Alright... thank you..."

...

"Cancer?" Janet squeaked as Brad stood in front of her, after he had explained the situation.

"That's the diagnosis."

"... My God, Brad, you kind of blindsided me..."

"Janet, are you okay?"

"No, Brad! You have lung cancer, do you know what that means?"

"Janet, I'm going to have treatment, I'll be fine, I promise you." Brad gently kissed her fiancee on the cheek, "I'm going to bed now."

...

The treatment room was a wide white venue that smelled vaguely of vomit and rubbing alcohol. Brad sat down next to a tall Polynesian-looking boy who was a having a loud and seemingly sexual conversation with a girl over FaceTime on his iPhone, a nurse stuck in a few wires and Brad waited.

After about thirty minutes, after Brad had zoned out once again and focused every last ounce of attention he had into creating a convoluted backstory for every person who passed by the treatment room, he noticed the newer patient who was sitting next to him,

It was a woman, she was short, delicate but still curvy body, with long red curls that seemed like they would fall out any second, she was pale, with heavy eye makeup and bright red lipstick. She seemed to be young, the oldest she could possibly be was about 29, and it looked like she had once been happy, probably before she got sick, there seemed to be a little spark of optimism left in her frail body.

Most of all, she seemed startlingly familiar.

Brad looked back at his lap when she coughed violently, holding a few tissues over her mouth, they began to turn red.

"What're you in for?" Brad inquired, she looked at him. Her pupils grew to the size of quarters, she turned her head,

"The free drinks." she replied softly.

"Oh yeah." Brad tittered, "Happy hour..." The woman picked up an emesis basin and began tying her hair up, as if she was waiting for the nausea to kick in. "I'm in for lung cancer, even though I've only smoked four times in my entire existence, weird, huh?"

The woman's upper lip curled in pain and she looked back at Brad, "Listen, you clearly don't remember me, so I think it's best we don't talk at all."

"Remember-?"

"Just... just stop, please..." The woman's machine beeped, a nurse came over and detached the IV from her wrist,

"Alright, honey, you outta here, is Columbia pickin' you up?"

"Yeah, she's bringing the car around."

"That some good news, suga', see you tomorrow."

"Bye." The woman whispered, standing up slowly, almost weakly, a reminder that it wasn't any average conversation. Brad tried not to make it obvious that he was admiring her ass as she left the room. The nurse glanced at him,

"What you lookin' at?"

"Oh... uh, nothing..."

"Please, _chaayyyl_, I know what you lookin' at. I can tell you ain't in here for prostate cancer, neither." the nurse giggled, "She sure is a looker, ain't she?"

"Well, uh, I'm engaged." Brad covered, finally thinking of Janet and trying to erase the feeling of turned-on-ness from his mind,

"Mmmm-hm. I hope she gotta man in her life too. She gonna need someone otha' than that drunk-ass bitch Columbia and that boy who dress like some... hoochy down on th' corner." Brad's machine beeped, "Ooh lawdy, you done, suga', all through your first day, you did pretty good, Imma see you tomorrow."

Brad stood up. And left thinking of the woman who had been sitting next to him.

* * *

"Janet, I'm home."

"Oh, hey, how'd it go?"

"Pretty well, I didn't throw up, which is apparently what chemo makes most people do." Brad sat down at the kitchen table and watched Janet make dinner for a few seconds before blurting out, "Do we know anyone named Columbia?"

Janet turned around, "You mean other than that atrocious dog-whistle whore from the Sex Castle three months ago... No, nobody."

"What about someone with long red hair and some kind of cancer? A woman, like, our age."

Janet looked hard at Brad, "Jesus, what is _in_ those IVs? You sound like you're on crack..."

"I guess the medication may be screwing up my mind." Brad thought out loud. Janet gave him a come-hither look,

"Well, that's not all that can screw up your mind, sweetheart." she whispered.

And within a fraction of a second, Janet had successfully removed all her clothes.


	2. For the last three months

**Time Is Fleeting.**

**Here's more leukemia shit. And it's Bradgenta too... I honestly came up with this idea while trying to write a Forbidden Fruit-themed parody of Last Friday Night.**

* * *

Brad woke up late the next morning after a night of violent sex. Janet had gone to the DMV where she worked and it was already 11:30. Brad got out of bed and went into the kitchen. He had to be at the hospital in ten minutes for treatment. The hospital was half-an-hour away.

Brad found himself sprinting to the car with no shoes on.

* * *

The woman from the day before was in the same spot as the day before. Her eyes were gently closed and she was running her hand up and down her leg. Brad sat next to her,

"Hey." he whispered, she sat up straighter and opened her eyes,

"You again?"

"Okay, do you really hate me that much?"

"I never said I hated you." she snapped, "I just said I didn't think we should talk at all. You obviously don't remember me, and I don't want to remind you."

"Just tell me already!"

The woman inhaled deeply. "...Three months ago. You got a flat tire."

"How do you know that?"

"...You wanted to use our phone. I took your clothes off and then at the end of the night-"

"Wait... You- you were that maid!"

"_Domestic_. Actually."

"But... you look so..."

"Yes?"

"You look so... pretty..."

She looked down. "No I don't."

Brad gently stroked her hair out of her face, "Yes you do."

She looked up, she was suddenly glaring, "So you're saying I wasn't pretty before?"

"What?"

"Am I pretty now? But I wasn't three months ago?"

"I didn't mean-" Brad exhaled, he couldn't win and he was suddenly getting nauseous. "You were always beautiful."

"Good God, Brad. I thought you were engaged!"

"But you- Never mind." He still couldn't remember her name, "So are you going to tell me what you're in for?"'

"I told you, the free drinks."

"What kind of _cancer_."

"I don't have any."

"Yeah right. You were coughing up more blood than a bulimic vampire."

"Then I'm a bulimic vampire."

"JUST TELL ME."

She was silent for a second, then finally whispered, "...leukemia."

"See? That wasn't so hard."

"You annoyed it out of me."

"It's a gift I was born with."

"I'll say." Brad felt her staring at him, "I can hear you breathing."

"So?"

"It's a common symptom of lung cancer."

"Really."

* * *

"I'm home."

"Oh hey." Janet called from the kitchen, "How was it?"

"Not so bad, you'll never guess who's having chemo."

"Who?"

"That maid. From the Sex Castle."

"Ew. That Magenta whore? Is she less hideous now that all that disgusting hair is gone?"

"She still has hair."

"What's she being treated for? Cervical cancer caused by an STD?"

"Leukemia."

"Is that an STD?"

"It's blood cancer."

Janet put her hands on her hips and stared into space, "I hope it kills her."

"Janet, don't say that."

"Why shouldn't I? Are you saying you like her?"

"Well-"

"Oh right, cancer patients have to stick together, right?"

"Yeah. I guess." Brad tittered nervously. "Not that I care. I mean, yeah, I hope she dies too."

"The next time you see her tell her I said- Oh baby, you look pale, are you alright?"

"I feel fine."

"Maybe you should go to bed early."

...

Brad arrived early at the hospital the next day mainly out of not wanting to be around Janet after what she'd said. Magenta wasn't in her habitual spot to receive treatment, expecting the worst, Brad tapped the nurse from before on the shoulder,

"How you doin', suga'?"

"Has Magenta been in today?"

"Ms Alvarado? Ooh yeah, chayl, she been in. She came into th' ER last night, she been admitted."

"Admitted?"

"Yeah, she doin' pretty good, I can postpone yo' session, if you wanna go see her,"

"You'd do that?"

"Of course I would, hon. If anybody axe about it, tell 'em Minnie gave you permission."

"Thank you, so much."

"Ain't no problem, boo."

...

Magenta was alone when Brad went into her room. She was asleep, with most of her body decorated with tubes and wires. There were two iPhones on her nightstand. Brad found himself gently touching her hair, she sat up surprisingly fast,

"WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"I just-"

"OUT." Magenta pointed to the door. "Before Frank comes back in here and beats your ass."

"Oh, _he's_ here..."

"The one person you remember. Yes."

Magenta looked away and suddenly slapped a hand over her mouth, picking up an emesis basin and violently coughing up most of her blood transfusion. Brad stared until she laid back down.

"Oh God-"

"Embarrassing."

"What're you talking about? Tomorrow it could be me."

"Get outta here."

"Do you have a problem with me?"

"I hate you."

"Why?"

"Because you hate me."

"No I don't."

"BS."

Brad was silent for a second, "Are you sure you don't need anything?" Magenta put her hand behind her pillow and her eyes strayed a little, "Other than wanting me to leave."

"You're gonna have to pass me that glass over there." Magenta pointed to a glass of water sitting on the windowsill. Brad stood up and passed it to her.

"You feel okay?"

"I don't know. Depends what 'okay' means to you." Magenta drained the glass, "Mm, refill." she passed Brad the glass, "I don't feel good. At all. If that's what you're asking."

"You answered my question pretty well." said Brad, holding the glass under the tap across the room. "So, uh, what have you been doing for the past three months? You still live at the castle?"

"No. Riff's gone. He got married and moved to New York. We don't talk anymore. I live with Frank and Columbia now."

"Oh. Okay."

"We live a block away, close enough that Columbia could drive me over here without getting arrested. But I love them. I know they wouldn't let anything happen to me."

"Arrested?"

"Yeah, she's been arrested for drunk driving a few times, but they were all just misunderstandings."

"Magenta, do you realize how dangerous that is?"

"Of course I do. I mean, she's crashed the car a few times, but she never hit anyone."

"Magenta, you could be killed-"

"I could be killed right here!"

The room became silent. Brad looked down, suddenly fixated on how the sheets fell on Magenta's fragile body.

Before Brad knew it, a tall woman with short red hair was standing in the doorway.

"YOU." she said in a high-pitched voice,

"Columbia, please-"

"May I ask why HE'S here?"

"He's a patient here."

"Why? What STD does he have?" Columbia snapped, holding her Swiss Army Knife at arm's length, pointed at Brad, "Answer!" She jerked the knife,

"Lung cancer." Brad peeped.

Columbia lowered the knife. "I'm sorry. Magenta, Frank's coming back, and he's pissed. If he catches this asshole in here he's gonna kill someone."

Magenta shot Brad a warning look, he stood up.

"I should probably go."

"You should." Magenta whispered. Brad left without another word.


	3. Taking Janet

**Time Is Fleeting.**

**Here's more leukemia shit. And it's Bradgenta too... I honestly came up with this idea while trying to write a Forbidden Fruit-themed parody of Last Friday Night.**

* * *

"Hey Janet." said Brad, opening the door and throwing his keys into the dish next to the door.

"You're late, is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah, it's fine, they postponed my treatment."

"Why?"

"Oh... uh... I don't know."

"Was _she _there?"

"Nope. Good news, she's been admitted."

"Oh, so she's dying?"

"... Yep... Pretty much. She wasn't even conscious." Brad lied through his teeth. Putting on a fake-ass smile, "How was work?"

"Eh, I did some driver's tests, these kids are a menace to society."

"Tell me about it. I hear Columbia's been driving under the influence."

"C-Columbia?"

"Yep. She was at the hospital, she hunted me down. She's gotten fat." Janet looked suspicious, as if she knew her nemesis was still rail-thin.

"Well, to celebrate, I thought we could get wasted!"

"I didn't know you drank..."

"I do now! I got some tequila on my way home from the DMV! Let's drink the whole bottle!" Janet squealed, Brad started to back up slowly,

"Um... I'll join you in a second..." said Brad, Janet skipped onto the porch. Brad stood still, he couldn't let Janet talk about Magenta like that. He had to get them in the same room, being civil. Easier said than done, Janet had to work, she hated hospitals, and hated Magenta even more. Magenta was probably too sick to see anyone, Columbia would shoot anyone who got too close and she was certainly in no condition to be insulted.

With this thought in his mind, Brad sprinted into the bathroom and threw up.

...

Brad woke up with Janet leaning over him,

"Hey Sexy."

"Since when do you call me that?"

"Since now." Janet smirked. "So guess what, I called in sick to work because I'm too hungover to do driving tests today, so I'm coming to the hospital with you."

"Uh, yeah?" Brad allowed his voice to squeak out,

"Yep, you know, you can't handle this all by yourself, and as your fiancee and hopefully your wife soon, I need to be present while you fight this, okay?"

Brad nodded nervously. "So you'll be...-"

"Anything you need me to be, Brad, darling."

"Oooookay..."

...

Brad pulled up outside the hospital with Janet in the passenger seat, she had been smiling lovingly for the whole drive, it was creepy. Brad thought of Magenta. If they crossed paths some shit was sure to go down.

"Are you okay?" Brad inquired, glancing at Janet,

"Yes, darling, are you?"

"I'm fine... You just don't look normal..."

Janet gently ran a hand through Brad's hair,

"I love you."

...

Janet's reaction to the chemo room was something most people would film, it was a mixture of shock, admiration and horror.

"Brad... darling, you come here every day?"

"Yep, why?"

"It's so... cancer-y in here..."

"Yes, Janet, it is."

Minnie came over with a smile on her face, "Brad, chayl, how you doin'? Is this Janet? Ooh lawdy, you did good."

"Hi, I'm Janet."

"Minnie."

Brad snuck back to his habitual spot for treatment, Minnie plugged him in and Janet cringed at the wires in his flesh,

"Baby, doesn't that hurt?"

"After a few days you get used to it."

"Ooh, Brad," Minnie began, "Miss Alvarado, she still admitted, but after yo' session, you just gon' be able to see her before visitin' hours is up."

"Thanks, Minnie."

Minnie smiled and walked away.

"Who's Miss Alvarado?" Janet inquired eagerly,

"Uh... she's uh... she's this little girl... with lymphoma." Brad lied, "We all go see her now and then, cause... she's only six. And her dog died. On her birthday."

"Poor little dear... We'll have to go see her later."

"Uh... I don't know, her grandma gets pretty pissed when I come by after chemo."

"Ah. I hope we see that Magenta bitch. I've got a few choice words I'd like to say to her."

"Janet, she's sick, are you gonna give this up?"

"No, because she's a whore!"

"Yes, that's true, but she has cancer and-" Brad grabbed an emesis basin and threw up.

"Oh baby..." Janet doted. "You're so sweet when you're winning your battle."

"Nice. That's... uh... Yep..."

* * *

Brad arrived at the hospital the next day as usual. Magenta was still admitted, treatment breezed past as usual, Janet was at work, Brad was worried about Magenta, Minnie was sassy.

After Brad's treatment was over, he went to Magenta's room again. She was asleep, Columbia was sitting next to her bed.

"Hi." Brad whispered, "She doing okay?"

Columbia looked up, glaring, "What're you doing here?" she snapped,

"I just came to see if she was okay."

Columbia looked back down, "She's fine. Her heart rate was a little screwy last night but she's fine now."

"When do you think she'll wake up?"

"When visiting hours are over. When I'm gone. And Frank's gone... When we're all gone. I can't leave her alone. I mean what if-" Columbia stopped, "Like, what if-" Columbia paused for a few seconds before bursting into tears, Brad looked down, it was getting awkward.

"I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Don't do this. Why do you always do this? Magenta is not your charity case, it's not your place to condescend and put it in your head that she needs your support when she doesn't. You're not that special, Brad, not every other cancer patient in this hospital wants your compassion." Columbia dried a tear, "You should go, before she wakes up."


	4. Home-wrecker

**Time Is Fleeting.**

**Here's more leukemia shit. And it's Bradgenta too... I honestly came up with this idea while trying to write a Forbidden Fruit-themed parody of Last Friday Night.**

**Also, Izzy (Ninety-Six Smiles) helped SO MUCH with this chapter, I can't even begin to describe how much she did.**

* * *

"You're late again, Brad. How's that Alvarado girl doing?"

"Janet, I have to tell you something. There is no Alvarado girl. Alvarado is Magenta's last name."

Janet looked shocked, "Have you... Have you been seeing her?"

Brad nodded, "Janet, I had been talking to her during chemo and I just wanted to see her more often, she's not as horrible as you're letting on, she's very sick, she only has two other people to turn to for support and we're both in the same predicament."

"YOU CAN'T SEE THAT WHORE!"

"Why, Janet? Tell me why, I'd like to know."

"BECAUSE YOU'LL CHEAT ON ME WITH HER!" Janet screamed.

Within seconds, Janet had packed a bag and set off to Ralph and Betty's house. And Brad was alone.

...

After about an hour of alcohol, there was a knock at the door, expecting Janet, Brad swung it open with a smile, the smile fell when he saw who was standing on the doorstep,

In a black jacket that seemed to swallow her body, with the hem of a black lace dress peeping out from under it, and red heels, was Magenta. Her hair contrasted violently with the night rain.

"Hey." she said softly. "I got released today, but Columbia and Frank are both completely hammered and Minnie gave me your address." Magenta looked down, Brad thought he could see a tear running down her face in the rain, "I'm so sorry, I just-"

"It's okay. Janet left, I need company anyway. You're soaking wet."

"I took a cab and walked from the CVS."

"You're sick! Why would you- it doesn't matter, come inside." Magenta came inside and Brad closed the door behind her, "Just sit down someplace, you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine." Magenta collapsed on the couch, "Are you okay?"

"I don't know... Janet left. I just... I'm just kind of stressed about it."

"About Janet? Not about the fact that you have lung cancer?"

"Well... both, I guess, but Janet just made the stress from the cancer worse and-"

"Brad?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"Okay. No problem. I'll make you dinner, I didn't have any myself, might as well."

...

"Alright, this is onion soup with... uh, potatoes and a few shreds of artichoke that fell out of a sandwich Janet made a few nights ago. Also some saltine crumbs."

"Doesn't sound so horrible..."

"I hope not." Brad set a bowl in front of Magenta at the coffee table next to the couch, she looked at it for a second, then picked up her spoon. Brad waited for her to jump a few feet into the air or spit the mouthful on him in disgust. But no such thing happened.

"That is..."

"Yes?"

"It's weirdly good... tastes like... I don't know, it's okay, I guess." Magenta lifted the bowl to her mouth and drained it. "Tastes like hospital food!"

"I guess I'd better get used to it..." Brad admitted to himself, draining his bowl. He raced into the kitchen and spat every drop of soup in his mouth down the sink, Magenta's violent laughter became apparent as he leaned back and tried to get his heart rate back to normal.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"HOLY FUCK..." Brad whined, "I'M NEVER GETTING ADMITTED."

"That just made my life."

"I'm glad I could be of service to y-"

Brad stopped suddenly; Magenta's pale, vein-laced hand had just come to rest on his knee. She blinked, eyes full of concern. Waiting for him to continue.

_ A comforting hand,_ Brad clarified to himself, _not... not a seductive hand_.

"Uhhh," Brad cleared his throat before continuing, "It's just..."

Magenta's 'comforting hand' had suddenly slid forward until it came to rest gently on the inside of his thigh. Brad snuck a glance at her face; she was staring intently at her hand, as if it was working on its own. A shiver ran up Brad's spine; a violent shiver that wasn't entirely unpleasant.

"I've... been... slightly... out of sorts... recently..." Brad struggled to continue. His heart was going a mile a minute. His breathing was beginning to grow heavier as Magenta slid closer to him on the couch.

"Out of sorts?" Magenta asked softly. Her eyes were wide and softened with lust; fixated on Brad's deeply blushing face.

"Y-yes," Brad said, his hands longingly hovering around Magenta's waist area, "The stress... i-it builds tension, you know, I just-"

"You need to release tension..." Magenta confirmed in a low voice, her lips brushing against Brad's ear, "I... I think I can help you with that."

Before Brad knew it, he and Magenta were in bed.

* * *

When Brad opened his eyes the next morning, the first thing he saw was a cloud of red hair. He sat up slowly and put his glasses back on, Magenta was still wrapped in the white sheets, her hair was spread across the pillow, her eyes were gently closed and shadowed with sick-looking black circles. The sun was streaming from behind the curtains onto her pale face. Goddammit, she looked like a fucking angel when she was sleeping, she wasn't bitching or glaring, she was just laying there.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

Suddenly, a soft squeak fought it's way out of her mouth, Brad just stared as she weakly started to sit up and shove the hair out of her face,

"Good morning." Brad whispered,

"Is it?" Magenta snapped, obviously not a morning person. "Why were you staring at me like that?"

"I can't help it, you're so beautiful." Magenta glared at Brad for a second before her face softened and she looked down, "Hey... uh, since me and Janet are pretty much broken up by now, do you see this going anywhere?"

Magenta smiled a little, "I don't know, I mean, maybe it could, I don't really know though..."

_Holy shit..._ Brad thought to himself, _If she wants a relationship I can't say no... what if she's dying... But if she's not interested... if she only wants a one-night stand, I can't tell her that I'm actually interested in a relationship..._

Magenta rested her head in Brad's lap, "Maybe... it wouldn't be so bad if we... uh, you know... tried to make it go somewhere..."

Brad hesitantly ran a hand over Magenta's long curls, "I don't think it would be so bad either."

"Did you release enough tension last night?" Magenta smirked, tracing a circle on Brad's shin with her middle finger,

"Yeah, I guess. How was it for you?"

"Well... I haven't had sex in three months, so I'd say it was amazing." Magenta smiled a little more, "I'm such a sex addict."

"I am too. Janet just won't do it though."

"Well," Magenta smirked, sitting up, "She's gone now..."

Brad kind of looked down, "You know, she'll be coming back to pack and everything, when she sees you here... I can't even say what she'll do..."

"What's the worst she could do to me-?"

"Magenta, don't underestimate Janet. She could really hurt you if she wanted to."

"I don't think- What, you think she'd beat me up?"

"She probably _could_. I mean, you're sick, therefore you're fragile, and Janet gets really jealous."

Magenta leaned into Brad's contact and buried her face into his chest, "I guess you'll just have to protect me then."

Brad ran a hand down her back, "Okay."

* * *

The wait in the hospital waiting room was almost numbing after Magenta was taken into the ICU. Brad had driven her to the hospital after she'd collapsed. He had secretly hoped Columbia or Frank would be there to stay with her so he could either go to chemo or wash the blood off his clothes.

The nurse came into the waiting room, "Mr Majors?" Brad stood up quickly, "Miss Alvarado is doing better, but we do have a few things we need to discuss, uh, Magenta's body has been rejecting a lot of her chemo treatment."

"Then why did she collapse?"

"Well, because of her reaction to the treatment. Our plan is to treat her with out-patient radiation. So she's be able to live at home but we'll treat her here. And, i understand you're also a patient here?"

"Yes, I've been having chemo for lung cancer for about a week."

The nurse glanced down, "You can come and see her now." Brad followed the nurse into the little room was Magenta was. Her body looked even more fragile and vulnerable than usual. Her hair was spread across the pillow to the point where it looked like she was still bleeding. Brad stood over her until she opened her eyes, she smiled a little,

"...I guess this is a dealbreaker, isn't it..."

"Of course it's not." Brad whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed, "It could happen to either of us." Magenta smiled more as Brad gently kissed her cheek, "They're taking you off chemo, you'll be on radiation now."

"Shit."

"Why? You won't be as tired anymore, you won't throw up as much-"

"Yes, but it'll burn me, and it can cause secondary cancer."

"It won't, I promise."

Brad saw tears starting to form in Magenta's eyes, "Take me home..." she whispered, Brad laid down next to her,

"Once you've rested, we'll go back to my house, but they need to take care of you first. I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize." Magenta whispered, "Just hold me please..."

Brad pulled Magenta closer, the nurse came in quietly,

"Mr Majors, we can cancel your chemo appointment today if you'd rather stay with her."

"Thank you."

"Miss Alvarado, do you need any more morphine?" the nurse asked Magenta softly, Magenta looked up,

"Yes, please."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

The nurse left the room,

"Frank and Columbia don't know I'm here. They don't know anything..."

"They don't need to know. You have me."

"They have to know, I live with them-"

Magenta was cut off the nurse came into the room, holding a syringe of morphine, she injected it into the IV and left just as quickly.

"Just relax, okay? That's the only way you'll ever fall asleep." Brad ran a hand over Magenta's hair, "When we get back to my house, it'll be fine." Magenta's breathing became slow and even, Brad stood over her bed, gently kissing her forehead, "Goodnight, my love."

* * *

Brad brought Magenta home the next morning. He stayed with her all day, missing treatment to watch her sit at the kitchen table and stare blankly at the wall for at least six hours.

"Magenta-"

Magenta spun around violently in her chair and slammed his lips against Brad's. He dug his mouth into hers equally as hard, until it proved necessary to pick her up and lay her on the couch, then to join her there.

It lasted two minutes until Brad heard the sound of a door unlocking.

"Brad, who's that-"

"Ssh- I think it's Janet. Don't talk."

The tension in the room began to build as Janet entered the room. Brad stood up and Magenta remained still. Janet glared.

"You... BITCH."

"Janet, get out of here."

"YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T!" Janet screamed, Magenta slowly stood up and stayed next to Brad closely. "You disgusting little whore, you've been fucking my husband in broad daylight and I didn't even know. I'm going to kill you right here."

"We're not even married, you whore, get out of my house."

"You can forcibly remove me, Brad, but I'm staying."

"You can't stay if I forcibly remove you, you stupid bitch. If you touch her, I'll honestly beat the living-"

Janet pulled a gun out of her purse. Brad felt Magenta's grip on his hand tighten.

"You wouldn't make me do it, Brad Majors."

"Magenta, call the police."

"You're not calling anyone, you harlot, or I'll shoot the phone out of your slutty little hands."

"YOU'RE INSANE!"

"I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU, BRAD!" Janet put the gun back into her purse, glaring at Magenta and starting towards her, eventually taking hold of her shirt collar and pinning her against the wall, "I hope you die, you hear me? I hope you end up alone in a hospital and at death's door and you remember Janet Weiss. You're a disgusting home-wrecker, no-one in this world wants you. You're trash. Abomination in the eyes of any sensible man. I hope your cancer devours your whole body, slowly and painfully shutting you down so nobody wants to touch you."

Janet left as quickly as she had come.

Magenta stayed frozen against the wall for a second, then gradually started to kind of tremble, holding her hands over her mouth, Brad slowly walked over to her and pulled her tightly against his chest,

"...I ruined your marriage..."

"No, you didn't. I promise you didn't."

"I ruin everything... I just- mm-" Magenta kind of squeaked as she fell into Brad's arms, he sat her down on the couch,

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know. This happens sometimes, I have to say I like your reaction better than Frank's."

"What did he- Never mind."

"You know we're going to have to end up going back there. We just need to make sure at least one of them is sober."


	5. Kittycat

**Time Is Fleeting.**

**Here's more leukemia shit. And it's Bradgenta too... I honestly came up with this idea while trying to write a Forbidden Fruit-themed parody of Last Friday Night.**

**Also, Izzy (Ninety-Six Smiles) helped SO MUCH with this chapter, I can't even begin to describe how much she did.**

* * *

"You don't need to do this if you don't want to." Brad whispered to Magenta, they were standing on the porch of Frank and Columbia's house.

"Yeah, actually I do. I don't have any money so I can't buy any new clothes and everything I own is here... And I want them to know that we're pretty much together now."

"Together?"

"We had sex. Weird sex, you did dirty, whorish things and I screamed a lot so..."

"Dirty whorish things?"

"Yeah, my back still hurts."

Brad felt an insane feeling of embarrassment. "Janet did worse stuff."

Magenta tittered, "I bet." she rang the doorbell, there was a loud scuffle on the other side of the door and it swung open, Columbia was sweating with her eyes wide,

"MAGENTA." Columbia grabbed Magenta and pulled her inside, "I THOUGHT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU?" Columbia's face got dark, "Why didn't you call?"

"My phone died. I stayed at Brad's house."

"So he kidnapped you."

"WHAT?" Brad yelled,

"I knew this was a bad idea. No, Columbia, I went there on my own. Where's Frank?"

"He passed out a few hours ago. Y'all can come in if you want but Brad needs to keep his hands where I can see them." Brad and Magenta sat down on a purple couch that was covered in splotches of a white powder substance. Columbia hopped onto a zebra print stoner-looking chair. "I redecorated last month." Brad glanced around the living room, it really did look like it had been decorated on an acid trip. "So what did you do to her, asshole?"

"We had sex." Magenta cut in, "It was amazing and I want to live with Brad. He doesn't do drugs, he doesn't drink, he doesn't whip me if I don't take my ATRA-"

"You get whipped here?" Brad half-screamed,

"Only if I don't take my ATRA."

Columbia pulled a bag of coke out of her pocket, licked her finger and stuck it in the bag, she licked her finger again. Then smirked.

"So what, you're moving in with him?"

"I guess I am."

Columbia turned white and glared at Magenta, "What if you get sick? What then?"

"I think I'll be fine."

"I'm the only one who would know what to do in that situation."

"Can I just pack my bag and go, please?"

"Fine, put I expect you to call me if anything goes wrong."

* * *

If there was one thing Brad expected himself to be doing that night, it definitely didn't include standing in front of the bathroom mirror holding his hand over his mouth as blood ran down his arm. There was absolutely nothing that could have prepared him for that.

Magenta was still asleep, it was about 3 am. Brad glanced towards the bedroom and coughed harder, blood pulsed down his arm harder and splattered across the interior of the sink and across the wall. It looked like the set of a horror movie. He expected something like this to happen to Magenta instead of him, this was for leukemia patients. Brad had never researched the symptoms of lung cancer on Wikipedia or that MedicineNet website, it really wasn't his first priority.

Brad coughed again, and Magenta sat up quickly, her head snapped towards the bathroom and her eyes grew to the size of CDs. Brad was silent as she got out of bed and ran towards him.

"What..."

"I'm fine. I'm f-" Brad started coughing harder and felt Magenta's hand on his back,

"Don't say anything. You'll be fine, just don't talk." Magenta slapped his hands away from his mouth and held a few Kleenex in their place, "This is normal, you've been missing treatment. You'll be fine but we might have to go to the hospital if you keep losing blood."

"We're not going anywhere." Brad whispered, "I'll be fine, I'm going back to bed."

"If it happens again, I'm calling 911." Magenta concluded, getting back into bed, Brad glanced at her,

"I'm so sorry, I l-" a violent stream of blood cut Brad off, Magenta stood back up and stood next to him,

"Don't apologize. It could happen to either of us."

"I don't feel good-"

"I know, you'll be fine."

Brad stared into space and it took about ten seconds for him to pass out.

* * *

Magenta had allowed herself to space out until Brad started to wake up, after she'd come back to reality, she'd realized that she was still wearing the same grey sweatshirt she'd worn to bed and the black jeans she'd put on before the ambulance had arrived, her hair was a mess and she didn't have any makeup on. Brad coughed violently and started to sit up, raising his hand to the tubes in his nose, Magenta stood up and sat on the end of his bed, he smiled.

"Oh God..." he breathed, "It happened..."

"You almost didn't make it." Magenta squeaked, "I thought you died."

"Did I pass out?" Brad asked, Magenta nodded, tears began to stream out of her eyes, it finally escalated into a heavy stream like a faucet. Her body convulsed with tears, Brad moved over in bed and patted the mattress next to him, "Lay down, baby."

Magenta laid down, "You almost died..."

"But I didn't. I'm fine now. And I'll stay like that for you." Brad pulled Magenta closer to the point where the entire length of his transfusion was wrapped around her forearm.

"Is this how you feel? About me?" Magenta peeped again,

"I guess it is." Brad whispered, "Are you upset, Kittycat?"

"Kittycat?"

"You know how much morphine they gave me?"

"That's okay. It's cute, most of my boyfriends called me worse things." Magenta whispered, bringing up an awkward memory and moving closer to Brad, "I like Kittycat."

"Okay. I'll remember that." Brad remarked quietly into her cheek.


	6. The Condom Lie

**Time Is Fleeting.**

**Here's more leukemia shit. And it's Bradgenta too... I honestly came up with this idea while trying to write a Forbidden Fruit-themed parody of Last Friday Night.**

* * *

Columbia woke up to loud knocking at her front door at about 5 am. Frank had been out all night so it was either him or Magenta. She got out of bed, brushed some powder off of the bra and shorts she'd worn to bed and answered the door,

"That's the last time you-" she began, stopping when she saw Brad standing in front of her.

"Hi."

"Uh... I thought you were in the hospital..."

"They let me out last week. And I have to... uh... I have to ask you something."

...

When Magenta woke up, there was a note on her pillow

_I'll be back soon, Kittycat, had to get something, sleep well_

Magenta smiled and got out of bed. Brad had been out of the hospital for a week, she hadn't been feeling good but wasn't about to jump to any conclusions. She felt safe with Brad. Like if anything happened she'd be fine. It wasn't that he was overprotective so much as the fact that he didn't have thirteen DUIs.

She heard the sound of the door unlocking and got back into bed. She heard footsteps on the stairs and within seconds Brad was laying next to her again. He wrapped his arms around her waist and didn't say anything, she started to titter a little and Brad sat up,

"Did I wake you?"

"No, I was debating whether or not to get up."

Brad held a hand against her forehead, "You feel okay?"

"Yeah, it's just warm up here is all. So what did you have to get?"

"Uh..." Brad tried to formulate a lie, all he came up with was, "C-condoms...?"

"Are we out?"

"Yeah, not anymore..."

"Let's use them up tonight." Magenta smirked, getting out of bed, "Do I look okay?"

"You always look gorgeous."

Magenta smirked again, "You're a liar." Brad stood up and put his arms around Magenta's waist,

"The best years of my life started when I met you."

"It hasn't even been a year!"

"It'll be more though."

Magenta stared for a second and started laughing. "You're so fucked up."

* * *

_Magenta's POV._

When I met Brad, I'll admit, I was scared. I liked my life with Frank and Columbia. We were kind of like Honey BooBoo's family, we were different but we all loved each other and we'd do anything for each other. I thought that when I met Brad I'd either be judged to death or talked into a relationship. I didn't really know I'd be volunteering for it. I didn't know I'd ever love him like I do now.

I'm still scared. We're both incredibly sick, if he dies I don't know what I'll do, he means the world to me, and the only other option is if I die, and the whole idea just scares me, what I'll miss, the amount of time I have left.

And when Brad and I started our relationship, I thought it would be fine because we're both in the same position, but then I realized that, in reality, we're both absolutely screwed.

_Brad's POV._

Magenta means absolutely everything to me. I'll do anything for her, and after being with Janet for so long I'm incredibly thankful that I could find someone like her. Janet fucked like a whore (she probably had experience) but she was an absolute bitch and now that she's gone I don't want to kill myself every waking minute of my life.

I read about leukemia online. The kind Magenta has is T-Cell Prolymphocitic, which has a median survival of less than a year. She's survived three months, I don't know about the next nine though. I somehow have a feeling I'm going to outlive her. My cancer is still in Stage 1, so they're not too worried, but Magenta's losing time.

I can't look at her the same way after I found out she was almost gone. Sometimes I wake up and check if she's breathing, I have an automatic response to coughing of any kind at all, I've literally walked through the chemo room and had about 30 heart attacks in a row. She can tell, that's the worst part, she can tell that I know she's not going to make it. At least she didn't have to find out when it's too late to tell her.


	7. Brad's cute little addiction

**Time Is Fleeting.**

**Here's more leukemia shit. And it's Bradgenta too... I honestly came up with this idea while trying to write a Forbidden Fruit-themed parody of Last Friday Night.**

* * *

Brad stood alone in front of the bathroom sink, Magenta was at the hospital for radiation and she'd told him to pick her up in half an hour.

So he unwrapped the syringe and stuck it in the spoon.

He was too ashamed to admit to anyone, including himself, that he'd bought heroin from Columbia. Over-the-counter painkillers never worked and he was saving money by not getting a prescription.

Just as he injected himself, Brad heard the front door unlocking and Magenta's voice traveling through the hallway, "Baby? I'm early, Columbia drove me back, she's sober."

"Yeah, I'm right here, one second-"

Brad threw the syringe into the wastepaper basket and left the washroom, he could feel the heroin beginning to take over but he would at least see Magenta before he started to space out, he walked into the living room to find her looking through the fridge with an exasperated expression.

"You feel okay? I'm contemplating whether or not we should go out..."

"Uh... I don't know."

"I'll order in." Magenta pushed Brad's hair back and brushed her lips against his face, "Are you sure you're okay? You're really pale, I think you should go to sleep."

Scenarios began to flash through Brad's mind about him not waking up, each a little more traumatic then the previous, he stared blankly as Magenta dialed the number for the Denton Olive Garden. What if she died before he did, what about vice versa? He needed to get better for her, it was what she needed and people recovered from Stage One cancer all the time.

Magenta put the phone down, "They'll be here in about an hour."

"How was radiation?"

"It was okay, I missed you though, but my doctor said it's getting a little better, but I'll probably get really weak soon so I'll need crutches- Are you listening? You look really spaced out."

"Yeah, sorry. My head's not working today."

"Neither is mine. I think I need you to fuck me really hard."

"I don't know... Maybe we could do it really slow." Brad put his arms around her waist, "You look beautiful, Kittycat."

"I love when you call me that." Magenta's hair fell into her face, "You should go to sleep, I'll wake you when the takeout gets here."

...

The next morning Magenta didn't have treatment, Brad didn't want to get caught shooting up and the house was cold.

Brad woke up with no-one next to him, the bed was still warm, and he was about to go back to sleep when he remembered that she didn't have treatment. He jumped out of bed, and looked into the bathroom, Magenta was retching into the sink, bloody handprints were covering the walls and counter.

She looked him in the eyes, and she told him she was pregnant.


End file.
